NAICS 624410

Child Day Care Services in National City, CA

The 1 ZIP codes assigned to National City contained 15 Childcare establishments in 2023.

Establishments (2023)
15
1 ZIP codes
10 or more employees
n/a
Practical financing floor
Share of county
2%
San Diego County
City population
57,807
2025 estimate

Figures cover the ZIP codes the U.S. Postal Service assigns to National City (91950). ZIP areas are not municipal boundaries: they can extend beyond city limits and are shared between neighbouring places. This is a count of establishments in National City's ZIP codes, not a count of businesses inside its city limits.

Establishments by size

Employee-count distribution. For most buyers the businesses worth pursuing sit in the 5 to 49 range: large enough to have a manager and real systems, small enough to be owner-operated.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShareDistribution
1-41173.3%

How this market compares

National City against every other city in California on the same measure. City figures cover the ZIP codes assigned to the place rather than its municipal boundary, so they are compared as a share of the businesses in those same ZIP codes rather than per resident. Cities with fewer than 500 businesses in total are left unranked.

Above average1.09% of local businesses, against 0.90% statewide

A larger slice of the local business base than the statewide share. Usually a sign of genuine local demand rather than oversupply.

Vs state share
+21%
Share of local businesses
Rank by count
#143
of 354 cities
Rank by share
#105
of 288 ranked
Since 2020
+67%
Change in establishments

This compares how much of National City’s business base is child day care services, against the California figure. Base: 1,379 establishments across all industries in the same ZIP codes, 2023. It does not measure revenue, profitability or whether a market is worth entering.

Business size mix

National City is more fragmented than California as a whole: a larger share of very small operators. Fragmented markets are where roll-ups are assembled, and where an owner nearing retirement has no obvious internal buyer.

Share of establishmentsNational CityCaliforniaDifference
Under 5 employeesOwner-operated, often no management layer73.3%49.9%+23.4%
5 to 49 employeesThe range most individual buyers target0.0%25.9%-25.9%
10 or more employeesPractical floor for acquisition financing0.0%13.8%-13.8%

Nearest comparable markets

The closest places to National City that also have Childcare establishments on record. Useful for spotting a gap next door, or realising the market you are looking at is already served from the town over.

MarketEstablishmentsVs state share
Coronado3-53%
Chula Vista77+75%
Lemon Grove9+87%
Imperial Beach3n/a
La Mesa19-8%

The wider San Diego County market

Employment and payroll are reported at county level only, so the figures below describe the county National City sits in.

County establishments (2023)
883
San Diego County
County employees
8,611
Mid-March employment
County annual payroll
$314M
All establishments
Full Childcare data for San Diego County

What acquirers look at

License capacity is the asset and it does not transfer automatically in California. Staff-to-child ratio requirements cap margin structurally.

Other industries in National City

Nearby cities

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ZIP Code Business Patterns. Establishment counts and size distribution by ZIP code and NAICS, aggregated over the ZIP codes assigned to each city. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns. Establishment counts, employment and annual payroll by NAICS. Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2026Q1). Quarterly establishment counts and employment for employers covered by unemployment insurance. Retrieved 2026-09-08.